Military Macaws at Sotano del Barro

A trip to Sotano del barro in the Sierra Gorda is not to be missed.  To access this birding hotspot, you need to take a dirt track for 25km to the small village of Santa Mario de Cocos.  From here, you are up at 4a.m. to climb the 5km track up to the Sotano before dawn.  I recommend horseback on the way up, and walking on the way down.

Despite the pain of the never-ending night hike, all is worth it as you arrive at the lip of the Sotano, which at over 500m deep, is the second largest sink-hole in the World.  As the sky begins to get lighter, the excitement and mystery grows.  Then,  suddenly at about 6.45, a crescendo of raucous screeching fills the Sotano.  You look down into the abyss and pairs of huge, colourful Military Macaws are waking up.

Military Macaws

For the next hour, the Macaws fly round in pairs, giving great views, especially as the sun lights up proceedings.  Other birds in the Sotano include Canyon Wren, Brown-backed Solitaire, White-throated Swifts and Magnificent Hummingbird.   Bat Falcon keep an eye on proceedings.

Bat Falcon

The Sotano is a great place to visit.  It houses the only colony of Macaws in Queretaro - and is of great importance to this species which is in danger of extinction.   The views are worth going for as well, and any visit helps the locals in the Sierra Gorda.  

Presa Centenario, Tequisquiapan

Some decent birds around La Presa yesterday morning, as it continues to battle the Water Hyacinth.  On the open patches of water were plenty of ducks (particularly at the western end), including 3 Bufflehead, 1 Ring-necked Duck, 1 Lesser Scaup and good numbers of Gadwall and American Wigeon.  As usual, plenty of Eared Grebes, and also 4 Least Grebes.  

Male Bufflehead with Eared Grebe and Ruddy Duck

Eared Grebe

 Even better were 9 American White Pelicans  and upwards of a dozen Neotropic Cormorants.  Might well be a few fish knocking around finally.

Raptors are great at the 'far end'.  Here, I had juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk, a stonking Peregrine and also Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrel and a Cooper's Hawk.

In the scrub, 10 Curve-billed Thrashers, 9 Loggerhead Shrikes, 9 Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, 5 Blue Grosbeaks, 1 Grey Flycatcher (my first for a while).  Good numbers of Marsh Wren and Common Yellowthroat were also found.

74 species all in all.

Grey Flycatcher

Inca Dove

Lincoln's Sparrow

Birding Oaxaca

A few days holidaying around Oaxaca at the beginning of January presented a few birding opportunities.  Below are some of the pics I took and species I saw.

Oaxaca was a haven for wood-warblers, many allowing excellent views:

Black-and-White Warbler

MacGillivray'sWarbler

Red Warbler

Rufous-capped Warbler

Townsend's Warbler

As well as the above lot, there were plenty of Nasville and Audubon's Warblers, as well as Hermit, Wilson's, Crescent-chested, Olive, Wilson's and Black-throated Grey Warblers.  In abundance also were other migrants such as Tanagers (Summer and Western) and Orioles (Bullock's, Baltimore, Orchard).

More specialist birds came in the form of endemic species Grey-breasted Woodpecker, White-throated Towhee, Dusky Hummingbird and Bridled Sparrow (all found in the area around La Villada hostel), and Grey-barred Wren and Ocellated Thrasher, which were staked out with the help of Eric Antonio Martinez in the La Cumbre area, where we also saw Hairy Woodpecker, Mexican Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo and caught glimpses of the elusive Dward Jay among others.

Grey-breasted Woodpecker

Ocellated Thasher

Oaxaca is good for a trip combining birding with other activities, such as visiting the beautiful Monte Alban ruins.  As well as seeing unbelievable views...you can keep your eyes open for birds such as Rock Wren, Hermit Thrushand Canyon Wren as well as mixed flocks of Warblers, Vireos, Tanagers and Orioles, and hummingbirds such as Dusky, Rufous,  Ruby-throated and Berryline (as well as others in season).

Monte Alban ruins

Hermit Thursh

Turkey Vulture

Rock Wren

Full list and site details to follow.